Christmas > AdviceDecember 16, 2004

'Ho Ho Ho' and Other Secrets of the Holiday Season

By Colleen Langenfeld
Pssst. Come over here. I have a secret.

Santa doesn't work alone. He has help. Lots of it.

Here's another secret. Presents DO mysteriously appear under Christmas trees...and sometimes on doorsteps, too.

Want more? Holiday dinners can fill your tummy up to overflowing...and your heart, too, if you know this secret.

Okay, okay, one more...seasonal carols joyously sung throughout a neighborhood followed by hot cocoa makes for a fantastic evening. But it's not nearly as wondrous as caroling in a retirement home and knowing you ARE the holidays for the people living there.

What am I talking about?

I'm sharing the secret of volunteering with you. For example, YOU have the power to...

  • Profoundly change your older child's view of the world with only one season of volunteering.

  • Turn a bleak, painful time of being alone during the holidays into a satisfying, healing season through service to others.

  • Organize several families to give a little from all of their plenty and feed another family a memorable holiday meal. Or bring whoops of delight to young children who otherwise would not have received gifts at all.

  • Bring a sense of much-needed balance and purpose to an overstuffed, stressed-out time of year by practicing an equal amount of giving versus. getting.

The real secret? The gift is YOU; your precious time, your smile, your laughter, your gentle touch. All are worth far more in the volunteer realm than mere money.

So go ahead. Let the secret out. Call your local house of worship, community service center, library, or chamber of commerce and ask about volunteer opportunities in your area. Spread around a little heartfelt generosity of your own this holy holiday season.

About The Author: Copyright (c) 2004 - Colleen Langenfeld
Colleen Langenfeld offers helpful ideas to busy working moms. Use the resources at http://www.paintedgold.com to make your life feel easier, healthier, and smarter now!

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